Metabonomics aims to study the metabolic profile of a living organism by
using a multivariate statistical quantitative approach to better understand the
complex interactions that occur between metabolites. In this experiment, I test the
hypothesis that one such form of NMR-based metabonomic analysis - Statistical
Total Correlation Spectroscopy (STOCSY) - can reveal differences between the
NMR spectra horses of different breeds, ages, and health status. Three groups of
horses were compared to see if metabolic variance could be detected: 2 yr-old
mustangs and 2 yr-old draft-cross horses (group 1), 1 yr-old and 2 yr-old draft cross
horses (group 2), and 18-20 month-old Stardardbred yearlings (group 3), half of
whom have developed the debilitating joint disease, Osteochondritis Dissecans
(OCD), which afflicts most all breeds of horses. STOCSY analysis of several peaks
in the NMR spectra revealed distinct metabolic differences among the groups of
horses. With their use on the rise, NMR-based metabonomic analyses could lead to
quicker, earlier treatment procedures for debilitating diseases by developing a deeper
understanding of metabolic interactions.